Chinese hackers: Is the next Cold War inside your computer?

In this Nov. 7, 2012 photo, U.S. and Chinese national flags are hung outside a hotel during the U.S. Presidential election event, organized by the U.S. embassy in Beijing. As public evidence mounts that the Chinese military is responsible for stealing massive amounts of U.S. government data and corporate trade secrets, the Obama administration is eyeing fines and other trade actions it may take against Beijing or any other country guilty of cyberespionage. The Chinese government, meanwhile, has denied involvement in the cyber-attacks tracked by Mandiant. Instead, the Foreign Ministry said that China, too, is a victim of hacking, some of it traced to the U.S. Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei cited a report by an agency under the Ministry of Information Technology and Industry that said in 2012 alone that foreign hackers used viruses and other malicious software to seize control of 1,400 computers in China and 38,000 websites. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)

Is the next Cold War inside your computer? The new threat of Chinese hackers

The cyber-fight between China and the United States has burst into the open in recent weeks. Although national security analysts have long warned about a "digital Pearl Harbor," the reality is that hacking may be more like a digital Cold War — with your computer as the battleground. Here's what you need to know.Chinese hackers have attacked 115 U.S. companies. Cybersecurity firm Mandiant released a report this week which identified a branch of the Chinese People's Liberation Army known as …